External connections to electrical, electronic and optical equipment may be made using mating connectors. An external cable, which may be an electrical cable of conductive wires, an optical cable having optical fiber transmission paths, or a combination of such techniques, may mate with the equipment using a panel mounted interface part. The terminology used to describe the mating parts varies; however, the terms “jack” and “plug” corresponding to “female” and “male” parts is often used. Alternatively the term “receptacle” is used instead of jack. Examples of hermaphrodite connector types are also known.
Panel-mounted plugs or jacks may be illuminated so as to indicate the status of a connection, or to aid in orienting and mating the plug and the jack. The illumination is often provided by a light emitting diode (LED) that is an integral part of the design of the panel-mounted receptacle. Where the LED is remotely located, light may be guided by a light guide or light pipe; however such components are part of the connecting cable assembly and are not separately provided. Where the plug is illuminated, the light is guided by a light pipe in a substantially opaque jack and transmitted to the plug when the plug and the jack are mated.
Illuminated receptacles may find a use in medical or other applications where connections to equipment need to be made in low-ambient-light operation. Such illuminated receptacles may have illumination controllable to indicate the status of a connection or the function of the connection.
Illuminated connectors such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,992 to Posey et al. have integral light emitting diode (LED) light sources that may be used to indicate a status of operations conducted by or with an associated circuit. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,572,402 to Lin describes a connector where the electrical signal strength or status is indicated by an external ring portion of the connector and the illumination is provided by LED elements that are a part of the connector assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,194,183 to Thornton et al. describes a connector receptacle where the light from an LED source is coupled to the receptacle by a light pipe, the light pipe being disposed to radiate the light from the receptacle onto the leading edge of a plug, when the plug is disposed within the receptacle.